Treating COVID-19 following protocols prove effective

Hanoi (VNA) - At 10 am on February 18, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district organised a ceremony to release the last two COVID-19 patients treated here.

Earlier, it treated and discharged three patients.

The number of cured patients increases

Both patients discharged are from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, the country's hardest COVID-19-hit area. One of them returned from China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, while the other had close contact with a COVID-19 patient. They were Pham Van Ch., 29, from Vinh Phuc’s Tam Duong district and N. T. Y., 55, from Son Loi commune in Vinh Phuc’s Binh Xuyen district.

Ch. was among the eight people sent by the Japanese-funded Nihon Plast limited company to be trained in Wuhan for two months and a half. The group later became the source of the disease transmission in Vinh Phuc. Ch. came back to Vietnam on January 17 and developed a sore throat and cough as from January 21.

On January 26, he had a fever and was admitted to the hospital, with his test on the day being positive for the virus.

After three days of treatment, he no longer ran a fever and his condition became stable. However, he was tested positive twice on February 7 and 9. The test turned negative twice on February 11 and 12. Now, he has been free from fever for 10 days and is in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Y., the neighbour of a COVID-19 patient named N. T. D., found herself heated up with headache and body pain on January 30. On February 5, she entered the isolation ward of the Quang Ha medical station, while her fever and pain remained.

The woman was confirmed being positive for the virus on February 9 and was moved to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases for further treatment.

Her COVID-19 tests showed negative twice on February 12 and 15, with her damaged lung improved. She was discharged in stable condition.

Vietnam has to date recorded 16 COVID-19 cases, including 11 in Vinh Phuc, three in Ho Chi Minh City, one in Khanh Hoa, and one in Thanh Hoa.

A representative from the Ministry of Health said there would be six patients released from hospital on February 18, increasing the number of recoveries in Vietnam to 13.

Vietnam effectively treats patients at different levels of medical facilities

According to associate professor Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, the ministry, following the direction of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, has prioritised treating the disease at different levels of medical facilities right from the beginning.

An infection suspect is set to be detected, diagnosed, quarantined, and monitored first at district-level medical units. When his/her symptoms require more special treatment, he/she will be moved to units at higher levels.

The entire medical system of Vietnam from those in centrally-run areas to others in communes has joined the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, Khue said, adding that staff at commune-level were in charge of detecting and monitoring quarantined people in a community.

The health sector restricts the transfer of patients to upper levels of hospitals, he said, noting that normal cases are treated at district-level medical facilities.

The process aims at ensuring prompt treatment given to the patients, thus limiting deaths or cross infections.

The Ministry of Health recommends people with suspected symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath, go to local medical establishments for check-ups. The ministry has set up quick-response teams to support these facilities when they face diagnosis and treatment difficulties./.